This year, the twenty-ninth day of October 2018 coincides with the annual celebration of “Cyrus the Great Day” by Iranian people and many friends of culture across the globe. In 2005, the Pasargad Heritage Foundation – the first international NGO for preservation of the cultural heritage of Iran- that introduced the idea. At the time, Cyrus’ mausoleum in Iran- a monument registered on the UNESCO’s world heritage list – was in danger of being inundated and eventually destroyed. However, the hard work of this Foundation and timely intervention of UNESCO, human rights activists and organizations removed the danger and led to a world-wide recognition of Cyrus’ seminal contribution to the survival of our common human civilization.
Celebrate
History of the “Declaration of Cyrus The Great”
This document, known as “The Declaration of Cyrus the Great,” emphasized the removal of all racial discrimination and slavery, and bestowing to all people, freedom to choose their places of residence, and practice their own chosen faith and religion, therefore, attempting to create peace amongst all nations. This Declaration could actually be considered a present from the Iranian people to all humanity, expressed through the words of Cyrus, the founder of the first empire in the Iran. In 1971, the general assembly of the United Nations recognized this declaration as the first Declaration of Human Rights.
The Cyrus Cylinder marks a “fundamental shift in Middle Eastern history:” the creation of the largest empire the world had ever seen, up until that point. Cyrus the Great’s reign began with his invasion of Babylon in 539 BCE. He ruled over the entirety of the eastern Mediterranean, effectively creating the Middle East as we know it today. The empire spanned from Libya and Turkey in the West, to Afghanistan in the East. The Cyrus Cylinder itself functioned like a “press release”, notifying the public that it had a new ruler with new ideas.
- Given the multilingual, multifaith, and multicultural nature of his vast empire, Cyrus the Great was faced with the unique challenge of developing an approach to governance that embraced diversity. According to Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, the Cyrus Cylinder embodies the first state model based on diversity and tolerance of different cultures and religions. According to MacGregor, “What [the Cyrus Cylinder] represents is the first recognition that if you’re going to run a society with different languages [and] different beliefs, you cannot impose by force one system.” This system proved so successful that Cyrus the Great’s dynasty lasted for 200 years, until Alexander the Great invaded the empire. His rule, aggressive and ineffective, caused the hitherto expansive empire to fragment.
Cyrus the Great’s principles of governance, as laid out in the Cyrus Cylinder, were an important influence on Western leaders. Not only did Thomas Jefferson own two copies of Xenophon’s biography of Cyrus the Great, Cyropaedia, but the Cylinder’s ideas gained widespread popularity among political thinkers in Europe and the United States during the 18th century Enlightenment.
After the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which announced the British government’s support for the Zionist cause, Jewish households across Europe displayed images of Cyrus the Great alongside pictures of King George V. Cyrus the Great is credited with freeing Babylon’s Jewish prisoners, previously captured by Nebuchadnezzar, who then returned to their homeland to reestablish their religious practices and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
The story of Cyrus the Great freeing the Jewish prisoners of Babylon is foundational to Jewish history, and is also told in the Bible’s Old Testament. The biblical prophet Isaiah lauds him and calls him a messiah, meaning “anointed” in Hebrew. In the biblical context, Cyrus the Great is viewed as chosen by the Judeo-Christian god for the distinct purpose of salvation. This differs from the Cylinder’s telling of the event, in which Marduk, the Babylonian god, guides him.
The International Day of Friendship
Our world face many challenges, crises and forces of division — such as poverty, violence, and human rights abuses — among many others — that undermine peace, security, development and social harmony among the world’s peoples.
To confront those crises and challenges, their root causes must be addressed by promoting and defending a shared spirit of human solidarity that takes many forms — the simplest of which is friendship.
Through friendship — by accumulating bonds of camaraderie and developing strong ties of trust — we can contribute to the fundamental shifts that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability, weave a safety net that will protect us all, and generate passion for a better world where all are united for the greater good. .UN
Background
The International Day of Friendship is an initiative that follows on the proposal made by UNESCO and taken up by the UN General Assembly in 1997 (A/RES/52/13), which defined the Culture of Peace as a set of values, attitudes and behaviours that reject violence and endeavour to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes with a view to solving problems.
In its resolution of 1998, proclaiming the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001–2010) (A/RES/53/25), the General Assembly recognized that enormous harm and suffering are caused to children through different forms of violence. It emphasized that the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence should be instilled in children through education. If children learn to live together in peace and harmony that will contribute to the strengthening of international peace and cooperation.
The Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace (A/RES/53/243) adopted in 1999 set 8 areas of action for nations, organizations and individuals to undertake in order for a culture of peace to prevail:
• foster a culture of peace through education;
• promote sustainable economic and social development;
• promote respect for all human rights;
• ensure equality between women and men;
• foster democratic participation;
• advance understanding, tolerance and solidarity;
• support participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge;
• promote international peace and security.
The International Day of Friendship is also based on the recognition of the relevance and importance of friendship as a noble and valuable sentiment in the lives of human beings around the world.
The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.
The resolution (A/RES/65/275) places particular emphasis on involving young people, as future leaders, in community activities that include different cultures and promote international understanding and respect for diversity.
The Day is also intended to support the goals and objectives of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace and the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010).
To mark the International Day of Friendship the UN encourages governments, international organizations and civil society groups to hold events, activities and initiatives that contribute to the efforts of the international community towards promoting a dialogue among civilizations, solidarity, mutual understanding and reconciliation.
World Population Day
The World Population Day is a United Nations’ initiative celebrated on the 11th of July every year. This day aims at spreading awareness about the exploding world population and the importance of reproductive health. World Population Day 2018 observes the theme, “Family planning is a human right.” For the first time, this day was celebrated in the year 1989. The Governing Council of the United Nations’ Development Program initiated this due to the population toll in the year 1987. It had already crossed the 5 billion mark and exploding world population had indeed become a serious cause of concern. Therefore, this day was initiated to combat the issue of growing population and raise awareness among the public about the same. World Population Day, on a vast scale, focuses on the need and importance of controlling the increasing world population. World Population Day 2018, however, focuses on the importance of family planning. The slogan, “Family planning is a human right,” for the first time, gives response to a 50-year-old legislation which states that women and girls can refuse to have multiple pregnancies placed too close, if they wanted.
What is the importance of World Population Day?
The primary aim of this initiative is to increase awareness about reproductive health problems among the people. This is due to the fact that a large number of pregnant women succumb to poor reproductive health. Research shows that 800 women die every day due to the process of birthing a baby. Therefore, the primary aim and importance of this day is to get more and more people to know how to boost their reproductive health pay attention on the importance of family planning.
World Population Day is the celebration of awareness; one which tries to get people to know and learn about population issues. Population issues include things like family planning, human rights, right to health, the baby’s health, gender equality, child marriage, use of contraceptives, sex education, knowledge about sexually transmitted disease, etc.
Sexuality-related issues need to be addressed between 15-19 years of age. This is due to the fact that 15 million pregnancies in the world take place in women of this age group. Out of these, 4 million pregnancies end in abortion due to pregnancy complication or other reproductive health-related issues.
Take a look at the many objectives of the World Population Day 2018:
1. This day is celebrated to empower both, young boys and girls.
2. Educating them about reasonable and youth-friendly techniques of avoid unwanted pregnancies at a young age.
3. Ensuring the access of primary education for both girls and boys.
4. Educating people to remove gender stereotypes from the society.
Also read: World Population Day: 11 Essential Facts You Must Know
5. Educating people about sexually transmitted infections and how they can be prevented.
6. Ensuring easy access to reproductive health care services to every couple.
7. Demanding certain laws for protecting the rights of a girl child.
Also read: 6 Things You Should Know About Sexually Transmitted Diseases
8. To offer knowledge about sexuality and continue delaying marriages until and unless one is able to understand the responsibilities which come along with it.
International Mother Earth Day
International Earth Day is celebrated on the 22 of April every year. Raising awareness of the challenges to the well-being of our planet and the life it supports.
International Mother Earth Day (also known simply as Earth Day) recognises that the Earth and its ecosystems provide its inhabitants with life and sustenance. It also aims to raise awareness that humans have a collective responsibility to promote harmony with nature and to balance the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations. You can find out more about the Day on the UN’s International Mother Earth Day web pages.
‘Mother Earth’ is an ancient concept common to many languages and cultures, acknowledging our connection to the planet which sustains and nurtures us. Names include Pachamama (Andean culture), Terra (Ancient Rome) and Gaia (Ancient Greece). Gaia has also been used to name a theory (Gaia hypothesis) that life on Earth is organised into a complex a self-regulating system.
You could use International Mother Earth Day as a prompt to explore these concepts or simply to reflect on how our planet nurtures us and how we can care for it in return.
Happy Sizde-be-dar Celebration of Nature
A Day For Celebration of Nature April 1, 2108
Sizde-be-dar is an Iranian festival, celebrated in the thirteenth day of Nowruz (Iranian New year and first of Spring).
Ancient Iranian believed Sizde-be-dar is a day for celebration of nature
Iranians have a tradition of spending and enjoyed the day outdoors.
PHF announces: The Iranian New Year 1397 is named as “The Year of Iranian Women”
PHFAnnouncement:
The Iranian New Year 1397 is named as
“The Year of Iranian Women”
Pasargad Heritage Foundation (PHF), observing its annual tradition, and on the occasion of “Nowruz” – the Iranian festival and celebration of the beginning of the Spring and New Year – has suggested naming the year 1397 (Iranian Calendar) as the “Year of Iranian Women”.
Every year, the selection of a name for the incoming year is enacted within the framework of preservation and guardianship of the tangible and intangible cultural and historical heritage of Iran.
The goal is to attract the attention of people to the unique values of Iranian culture that are based on reason and love – the very values that have greatly been neglected and experienced discrimination and enmity and are now openly exposed to degeneration and destruction.
This year, and upon the following considerations, PHF has named the year of 1397 as “The Year of Iranian Women”
– Iranian women are amongst those women of the world who continuously have guarded the cultural heritage of their homeland.
– For Years the Iranian women have preserved and transferred their national traditions, festivities, as well as their tangible and intangible heritage that are mostly declared forbidden by the current Iranian government to the next generation.
– Regardless of their personal religious beliefs, The Iranian women, whether Zoroastrian, Christian, Jew, Bahai, or Moslem, have played a major role in the transference of the non-religious and secular culture of Iran to the next generation.
– And during this past year, the Iranian women have introduced a rare tactic to obtain their freedom from oppression and compulsory dress-code (wearing hejab). The freedom (of a woman) to dress as she wishes has in fact been a part of ancient Iranian culture that was taken away by the invading Arabs and the imposition of their newly formed faith. The present movement of Iranian women to get back one of their human rights and to revive old Iranian traditions is of utmost significance. All through history, and whenever possible, Iranian women have struggled for their freedom to choose what to wear. They had enjoyed this freedom for 43 years (Between 1314 and 1357) and until the advent of the Islamic revolution. In this regard, their struggle could also be recognized as a cultural endeavor.
Along with naming of the year 1397, PHF would like to wish everyone a very joyous New Year and a happy great and beautiful Nowrooz.
Let us begin the New Iranian Year by appreciating the long and unstoppable struggle of the Iranian women for preserving their culture and gaining their freedom. Let us hope for a year full of happiness, peace and freedom for the people of Iran and the whole world.
Shokooh Mirzadegi
PHF Executive Director
Happy New Year and Thank You!
Dear Friends, and Supporters of World Cultural Heritage Voices,
On behalf of our colleagues and volunteers at WCHV, and on the occasion of the Global New Year of 2018, we would like to extend our regards and best wishes for a Happy New Year. Thank you for your support of WCHV, which has been so instrumental in achieving our goals and mission.
Yalda, Persian’s Most Beautiful Song in Praise of Light and Love – 2017
For thousands of years, Iranians have celebrated the last night of winter. They have stayed up through the evening, waiting for the dawn, to witness the birth of the Sun; the source of life which has also been named “Mehr”.
Praising the sun, on the night of the birth of Mithra, celebrating around a cedar tree, adorned with colorful fabrics and stones, which was one of the most important rituals of the ancient Persians. At the time, there were still mysteries of the sun and moon and other natural phenomena for human exploration, and the Persians, like many other people had self-made gods who ruled over all the elements of nature. Man therefore, escaping sadness, darkness, cold, and pain (whether physical or emotional) took refuge in the gods.
Discovering the secrets of nature, and the transition from the myths of the gods did not hurt people’s relationship with the natural elements. Because Persian culture, and even religious orders of Zoroaster (the Persian prophet), were based on love and respect for the land, water, trees, rivers, mountains and their preservation was considered good will.
However, most of our habits and traditions could be updated and modified with time as well as people’s desire and wishes. Therefore, praising the sun, light, love, and life has become a part of Iranian psyche and beliefs in spite of all the objections that historically, under the pretext of religion, has considered these Persian celebrations as blasphemy.
Unfortunately, in the past thirty-four years of clerical rule in Iran, they have not accepted these celebrations. They not only do not accept these traditional festivities as part of national celebration, they are not willing to report and request UNESCO for addition to World Heritage list. The government has simply tried to force innocent people to stop holding these celebrations.
As Persian/Iranian celebrations and festivities have risen from nature and the land, with kindness and love, engraved with anti-discrimination, and interest of/for all people, irrespective of their religion, belief and opinion.
“Yalda” is one such festivity which continues to be even now more than ever, at the center of interest of Iranian people because history has shown that during dark times people have shown interest with the hope and belief that victory can be sealed and reach the world community to end all wars, suffering, discrimination and denial.
This year like many previous years, Pasargad Heritage Foundation, has asked the Iranian public to celebrate the tradition of Yalda by decorating and adorning an evergreen cedar tree and celebrate this glorious Persian feast more and more beautifully and grandly and welcome the everlasting sun of our land in order to conqueror all perpetual darkness.
Let us not forget that the festive night of Winter Solstice, “Yalda,” is one of the few festivals compatible with the tenants of human rights, with this message that “only expressions of joy and love are symbols of light in human life”.
The Priceless Heritage of Cyrus the Great for Iranian People
Statement of Pasargad Heritage Foundation on Cyrus Day, Oct. 29, 2017.
For the fifteenth year we are approaching the Cyrus Day on October 29th which is the anniversary of the day when Cyrus the Great announced his Declaration of Human Rights on a clay cylinder. The occasion is celebrated by many people in and outside Iran. After many centuries, the Iranians have come to recognize the unique values of a great historical personality belonging to their motherland. They gather at his tomb and adjacent city and give tribute to his name and memory. These activities highlight the importance of this event and Cyrus Day. It is an important event which reflects the natural inclination of Iranian people in celebrating this day.
The reason behind this vast attention to Cyrus and his declaration is twofold. On one hand it is due to the elevation of peoples’ understanding of human rights in this age of information and, on the other, it is a reaction towards the harsh and difficult situation, created and imposed on them by the Islamic Republic.
Today in the 21st century and information age, human beings cannot (and should not) live under oppression and inhumane conditions. Humanity has survived centuries of bitter experiences and has been able to create a world that, though still full of pain and misery, is enlightened by that brilliantly crafted document called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Unfortunately, Iranians are today deprived of these very rights and, at the same time, have come to know that their ancient leader of 2550 years ago was the one who initiated the understanding of such rights. They compare the backward laws of Islamic Republic of Iran with Cyrus’ Declaration and their hearts are full of sorrow. Confronting the differences between the two sets of laws, makes them appreciate what Cyrus had done for his time.
Cyrus appears to be the first man in history who thought of his peoples’ rights, their freedom of religion and opinion, while negating slavery, releasing slaves and focusing on the well-being of his people. These facts cannot be ignored and these rights of Iranians should today be considered as part of their cultural heritage.
Iranians are cognizant that Cyrus was neither a prophet nor a saint. He did not walk on water, could not resuscitate the dead and was unable to cause splitting of the moon. Nevertheless, by giving the people the right to choose their own religion, and therefore their destiny, he led the way in creating a nation of free decision makers. Thus, paying homage to him, especially in a time when his children are deprived of their basic rights, becomes ever more significant and timely.
Pasargad Heritage Foundation, the entity that first suggested the observance of Cyrus Day, 15 years ago, invites all Iranians and Iran-lovers to pay their tributes to Cyrus wherever they are and celebrate his day with more glory and splendor than ever before. They are invited to contemplate the role Cyrus played in the history of humanity by bestowing the human race a declaration that could bring them happiness, peacefulness, and tolerance.
With love and best wishes for everyone.
Shokooh Mirzadegi
Pasargad Heritage Foundation
www.savepasargad.com
